March 15, 2012

Paper Dolls

Meet our new Hawaiian paper dolly friend!

One of my kiddo's best friends (and her oh so clever Mama, Katy!) gave THE COOLEST PRESENT for my daughter's birthday: a nifty plastic mini-suitcase filled with every fun and colorful fabric scrap under the sun, along with assorted ribbons, lace trims and sequin sparklies. Also in the box – glue sticks, fabric scissors and a huge stack of paper dolls that Katy had printed out at a copy store onto heavyweight paper stock.

Oh and the Dolly-making Suitcase Full of Fantastic was presented in a handmade fabric carrying bag.

It’s one of the most fun things I’ve ever done in my life. I’m so inspired that I’ve begged Katy to teach me how to sew. (I don’t know how. Like, not even sewing a button. Sad, but true.)

My daughter made the lace-sleeved dolly. Please note the matching lace apron because it is awesome.

I made the red haired dolly. I was going for a Tea collection look. Personally, I think I nailed it!

Here’s one of the basic paper doll templates that we were provided. We’ve found that we can change the looks of the hair by giving the dollies haircuts of varying sorts.

Please note the teeny tiny Japanese slippers that grandma made for a Japanese-inspired dolly.

The dolly dude with the tie is supposed to be my husband. I wonder if I can get him to wear a color like that in real life. ( “I don’t think so.”– the husband )

And check out the Red, White & Blue shirt on the above right dolly that Julia made, with coordinating stripey pants! This is pattern mixing at its finest, people.

Truly, the most unique and creative gift ever to walk into this house, I can tell you. Fun, fun and more fun doesn’t begin to cover it! Oh and my friend has a lovely blog with beautiful essays about her daughters, Re: Peanut. Go check it!

Follow up note: Several have asked how they can create/print out the dolly templates our friend made for us. She left some instructions in the comments, which I am recopying here -- Thanks again Katy!

"I made those, inspired by another blogger, but then after I spent loads of time on photoshop, I stumbled on these:http://www.skiptomylou.org/2010/06/16/fabric-scrap-dolls-from-this-mama-makes-stuff/. So, please, visit her blog, and make use of her darling printables. I would highly recommend that you take them to a print shop to print two to a page, on cardstock, cut in half. It's VERY reasonable (much more so than printing at home, and half the headache) and they're so nice and thick. "

12 comments:

I'm totally pinning this so I can make one of these dolly kits to give to Miss C. this Christmas! Your friend is AWESOME!

If you want to get started sewing, there's a series of tutorials called "Sew Get Started" going on right now at one of my favorite blogs: http://fairyfacedesigns.blogspot.com/p/sew-get-started-tutorials.html. I know we don't live near each other but I'd be happy to help you too. We can always sew together over Skype! :)

OMG! I love that you blogged it and LOVE that you loved it so much! I LOVE seeing how differently people make this with so little instruction. Ours look totally different, which rocks! I mean, hand a chick some dolls, some fabric, scissors and glue and it's so rad what comes out. And yes, sewing. Sigh - busy, busy, but I want to make time for this.

O.M.G! What an amazingly clever gift idea and one that I WILL be borrowing. Any chance you'd have your friend draw templates that we can print from your blog. Please, please, pretty please!!!

As for sewing, I've taken a couple of good classes through Pacific Sewing & Crafts. Something like "getting to know your machine" and "beginning sewing" (original, huh?!) It was enough to get me started though.

THANK YOU peeps for all the lovely sewing tips!!! I want to be able to make simple skirts and "frocks" --(that's what J and I like to call jumper dresses b/c I insist on pretending I live in England at all times :)

Shannon: I asked Katy about making the dolly template available, she's gonna work on it...

Hey- those paper dolls are absolutely fantastic!!! what a great friends to give such a gift! Seriously what could a little girl want more or have more fun with? I was doing stuff like that (cutting up fabric and lace for my paper dolls) when I was a kid all the time. Love it!

Now for some unsolicited sewing advice from Robyn. All you really need to sew is a basic straight stitch. Complex machines with lots of buttons to push, electronics and many different stitches are completely unnecessary. I own two machines. Both are singers from the 50's. They have NO PLASTIC PARTS, run beautifully, are simple to use and I sew with them exclusively. I don't know if you have a machine or not but really- the old beautiful machines (And I think they are really beautiful) are where it's at as far as I'm concerned.

I made those, inspired by another blogger, but then after I spent loads of time on photoshop, I stumbled on these: http://www.skiptomylou.org/2010/06/16/fabric-scrap-dolls-from-this-mama-makes-stuff/. So, please, visit her blog, and make use of her darling printables. I would highly recommend that you take them to a print shop to print two to a page, on cardstock, cut in half. It's VERY reasonable (much moreso than printing at home, and half the headache) and they're so nice and thick.

These paper dolls are so cute! Even as an adult, I wish I were in the kids shoes of the children I see in daycare, spending a whole day of free time doing arts and crafts. I've been looking into doing embroidery, currently looking for a class in nyc at the moment.